Visual control process for valve gates

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a system for electronically controlling the movement of a pin assembly used in a valve gate mechanism of an injection molding machine. The system of the present invention includes at least one valve which is part of an injection molding machine, as well as a graphical user interface which is operable for controlling the injection molding machine and the valve. Additionally, the present invention also includes controlling the injection molding machine electronically for improving the control over the opening and closing of the valves.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a graphical user interface forelectronically controlling a valve in an injection molding machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Injection molding machines are generally known. Typical injectionmolding machines use hydraulic control methods for opening and closingvarious types of valves, commonly referred to as gates, or valve gates,which are opened and closed at particular times for allowing a moltenmaterial to flow into a mold. Injection molding machines typically havea mold, or cavity, which is used with the gates, with the gates beingplaced in various positions relative to the mold, for facilitating theflow of molten material into the mold. Each of the valve gates can beset up to open and close at specific times measured from the initialstart-up of the machine to properly allow for the molten material toflow into different parts of the mold, or at different points during theoperation of the machine as the position of the machine changes,creating the desired part.

The location of the molten material being injected into the mold and thetime duration of injecting the molten material, both have an effect onthe outcome of the part. However, the valve gates are typicallycontrolled through the use of a hydraulic control which does not allowfor a precise opening and closing of each of the valve gates. Whenhydraulic control is used, each of the valve gates can only be placed ineither a fully open or fully closed position. With the advancement ofthe different types of materials used in injection molding machines andthe increase in complexity of the parts produced by injection moldingmachines, it is desirable to have greater control over the valve gates,allowing the valve gates to have various positions other than beingfully open or fully closed.

Accordingly, there exists a need for an injection molding machine havingan electronic control which allows for improved control over themovement of various valve gates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a system for electronically controlling themovement of a pin assembly used in a valve gate of an injection moldingmachine. The system of the present invention includes at least one valvewhich is part of an injection molding machine, as well as a graphicaluser interface which is operable for controlling the injection moldingmachine and the valve. Additionally, the present invention also includescontrolling the injection molding machine electronically for improvingthe control over the opening and closing of the valves.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a portion of a flow chart of a graphical user interface foran injection molding machine having electronic control, according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 1B is another portion of a schematic of a graphical user interfacefor an injection molding machine having electronic control, according tothe present invention;

FIG. 1C is another portion of a flow chart of a graphical user interfacefor an injection molding machine having electronic control, according tothe present invention;

FIG. 1D is another portion of a flow chart of a graphical user interfacefor an injection molding machine having electronic control, according tothe present invention;

FIG. 1E is a schematic of a system incorporating a graphic userinterface used for controlling an injection molding machine, accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a screen shot of a start-up screen used in a graphical userinterface for an injection molding machine having electronic control,according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a run screen used in a graphical user interface for aninjection molding machine having electronic control, according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a calibration screen used for a graphical user interface foran injection molding machine having electronic control, according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a password screen used in a graphical user interface for aninjection molding machine having electronic control, according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a manual run screen used in a graphical user interface for aninjection molding machine having electronic control, according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a recipe selection screen used in a graphical user interfacefor an injection molding machine having electronic control, according tothe present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a recipe edit screen used in a graphical user interface for aninjection molding machine having electronic control, according to thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses.

The present invention is directed toward a visual control process usedfor valve gates, in which the system provides electronic control fromone to twenty-four valve gates used in an injection molding machine.

The control process of the present invention also includes variouscontrol parameters which are used for controlling the position of a pinused in a valve gate assembly. The present invention incorporates theuse of a touchscreen display, where a symbol representing each valvethat is being controlled is shown on the screen, and the symbol issimply touched to access the various parameters for controlling thevalve. Some of the parameters are press position, trigger time, and flowgap. The press position and trigger time are used separately from oneanother, i.e., if the press position parameter is used, the trigger timeis not used, and vice versa. Additionally, the present invention alsoincorporates the use of electronic control over the valve gate assembly,as opposed to hydraulic control. The use of electronic control providesincreased control over the movement of the valve gate, allowing for moreprecise control of the flow of molten material in the injection moldingmachine.

The present invention can be practiced in conjunction with the Internet,World Wide Web, intranets, extranets, electronic media (e.g.,CD/DVD-based systems), or the like. The system of the present inventionis a web-based server that runs on an embedded Windows CE platform. Theweb-based server system can be accessed via a client web browser over anEthernet-based Land Area Network (LAN) from any computer capable ofrunning Internet Explorer or compatible Browser. A local touch screen isalso available. The web-based server is a convenient and cost effectivemethod for displaying zone status, logging data, storing recipes, andsetting zone and system parameters.

In order to fully appreciate the benefits and features of the visualcontrol process for valve gates of the present invention, it is assumedthat an individual practicing the present invention will have: access toa computer (and is conversant with the basic functions thereof); anInternet service provider (“ISP”) (e.g., AOL, JUNO, or the like) withe-mail capability; a Web browser (e.g., INTERNET EXPLORER, NETSCAPE, orthe like); any required plug-ins (e.g., FLASH, SHOCKWAVE, JAVA VIRTUALMACHINE, or the like); and have the ability to navigate successfully toany given uniform resource locator (“URL”). In order to furtherappreciate the benefits and features of the present invention, the userwill also have an understanding of injection molding systems and valvegates. Valve gates are devices used for facilitating the delivery of amolten material into a mold of an injection molding machine; a valvegate typically includes a pin which is moved to open and close the gate.Injection molding machines typically include a source of moltenmaterial, which then flows through various channels, ports, and thelike, into a mold; the valve gates allow the molten material to flowinto the mold when the gates are open, and prevent the molten materialfrom flowing in to the mold when the gates are closed. Each gate has aservo drive and a servo motor, and a servo valve. The servo valve isanother term used to describe the pin, the servo drive is theelectronics used to control the pin, and the servo motor is the devicewhich mechanically moves the pin.

An example of an injection molding system having valve gates isdiscussed in co-pending application Ser. No. 11/888,584, the entireapplication of which in incorporated herein by reference.

A flow chart demonstrating the use of a system for the visual controlprocess of valve gates, according to the present invention, is shown inFIGS. 1A-1D generally at 10. The first step is for the user to activatethe visual control process system 10 of the present invention, e.g., byclicking on an icon or the like on a computer. The present inventionincorporates the use of a touch screen, which is used for navigating thesystem 10 of the present invention. By way of a non-limiting example, auser could navigate to the URL of a main Web Site 12 that contains thevisual control process system 10 of the present invention (e.g., withthe aid of a Web browser, such as INTERNET EXPLORER, NETSCAPE, or thelike).

Referring to the Figures generally, from the main Web Site 12, the userwill arrive at the Startup Screen 14. The Startup Screen 14 has threemain controls generally shown at 16, the “Run” button 18, the “Recipes”button 20, and the “Config.” button 22. Anytime the user presses theConfig button 22, the user will access the Startup Screen 14. Anytimethe user presses the “Run” control button 18, graphic displays of eachof the valve gates will appear, the function of which will be describedlater. The Recipes button 20 is what is used for accessing recipes.Recipes are used for defining what parameters will be used forcontrolling the movements of the gates; one or more recipes can be used,with each having different parameters. Since the system 10 operatesthrough the use of a touch screen, a user simply touches the Run Button18, the Recipes Button 20 or the Config Button 22, as well as any otherbuttons used in the operation of the system 10.

Along the top of the Startup Screen 14 are four system statusindicators, shown generally at 24. The system status indicators 24include the Mold Closed Status 26, Drive Status 28, System ControlStatus 30, and Mold Temperature 32. Any one of the system statusindicators 24 will prevent the system 10 from running if their status isnot operational. In the present embodiment, the system status indicators24 will appear having white lettering on a green background with thestatus is ready to run, or black lettering on a gray background whentheir status will prevent the system from running.

One of the parameters controlled by the user is the operating mode 34.The operating mode 34 in this embodiment is a drop down menu where oneof three different modes of operation are selected; this is shown inFIG. 1A at step 36. The three different modes are “Off Mode” 38, “ManualMode” 40, and “Auto Mode” 42. In the Off Mode 38, the system becomesidle, in Manual Mode 40, the system 10 is controlled with the buttons onthe manual mode screen (which will be described later).

The Auto Mode 42 is the typical mode of operation, where the gates openand close automatically as defined by the active recipe. As mentionedabove, pressing the Run Control button 18 will allow the user to accessthe run screen, shown in FIG. 3 at 44. The Run Screen 44 shows severalicons 46 which represent each of the valve gates.

When the Operating Mode 34 that is chosen is the Manual Mode 40 ofoperation, this allows for manual control over the motion of the valvegates 46 which is most useful in terms of troubleshooting and moldmaintenance. If the user selects the Manual Mode 40 of operation fromthe drop down menu of the Operating Mode 34, the user will be taken to aManual Mode Screen, generally shown in FIG. 4 at 48. The Manual ModeScreen 48 includes a Toggle Purge Status Button 50, a Minimum OperatingTemperature Input field, shown generally at 52, and a Set button 54.There is also a listing, shown generally at 56 for all of the gates. Thelisting 56 includes the Gate Number 58, the Home button 60, the Flow Gap62, an Open button 64, a Close button 66, a Reset button 68, and a ServoStatus Indication 70.

The Toggle Purge Status button 50 is pressed when it is desired to purgemachine and open all the valve gates 46 fully if the tool is aboveoperating temperature. The minimum operating temperature is entered intothe Minimum Operating Temperature field 52, and the Set button 54 ispressed to make the value entered into the Minimum Operating Temperaturefield 52 the minimum operating temperature for the system 10.

When at the Manual Mode Screen 48, the Home button 60 is used to applythe homing force to the pin, the function of which will be describedlater. The Open button 64 is used for opening the gate, the Closedbutton 66 is used for closing the gate, and the Reset button 68 is usedfor resetting the gate to an initial position.

Referring back to FIG. 2, the startup screen 14 also includes an “AutoMode” field, shown generally at 72, which will only have an effect onthe operation of the system 10 when the Operating Mode 34 is set to AutoMode 42. In this embodiment, the Auto Mode field 72 is a drop down menu,having two choices; they are position 74 and time 76. When position 74is chosen, movement of the valve gate 46 is triggered by the position ofthe press screw (the press screw is a device used for driving moltenmaterial into the mold, as the molten material is driven toward themold, the valve gate(s) 46 must be open for the molten material to flowinto the mold); when time 76 is selected, movement of the valve gate 46is triggered by the elapsed time starting when the mold closed 26 inputand run timers input (the function of which will be described later) areboth active.

The startup screen 14 also includes a Length Units Field, generallyshown at 78, a Temperature Units Field, generally shown at 80, a ZeroPosition Encoder 1 button 82, a Zero Position Encoder 2 button 84, aToggle Thermocouple Polarity button 86, and an Advanced Gate Configbutton 88.

The Length Units Field 78 in this embodiment is a drop down menu whichallows for the user to select between metric (mm) units 79 or English(inches) units 77 to be used for all length-related parameters andindicators. The Temperature Units Field 80 in this embodiment is also adrop down menu which allows the user to either select metric (° C.)units 85 or English (° F.) units 87 to be selected for alltemperature-related parameters and indicators.

There is one button for each press position encoder in the system. Inthis embodiment, there are two press position encoders used for thesystem 10 of the present invention, a first Press Position Encoder 81,and a Second Press Position Encoder 83. A press position encoder is adevice used for determining the position of a press screw used in aninjection molding machine for injecting molten material into a mold. Thevalue assigned to the position of the press screw as the system 10operates is referred to as the “press position value.” The Zero PositionEncoder 1 button 82 zeros out the press position value controlled by thefirst Press Position Encoder 81 (i.e., Position Encoder 1), and the ZeroPosition Encoder 2 button 84 zeros out the press position value controlby the Second Press Position Encoder 83 (i.e., Position Encoder 2).Before a recipe is run, the Position Encoders 81,83 must be reset tozero, or “zeroed out”, to ensure that the position of the press screwfor the injection molding machine is monitored correctly as a recipe isrun. The position of the press screw after the Zero Position Encoder 1button 82 and the Zero Position Encoder 2 button 84 are pressed isreferred to as the “zero press position.” The “zero press position” isused as the initial reference point after the press screw beginsoperation to determine when the valve gates 46 are to open and close.

With regard to the Toggle Thermocouple Polarity button 86, pressing thisbutton 86 will change the polarity of the thermocouple used in thesystem 10. During installation, the wires for the thermocouple can beinstalled backwards accidentally. Pressing the Toggle ThermocouplePolarity button 86 has the same effect as swapping the thermocouplewires without actually having to physically swap the connections.

If the Advanced Gate Config button 88 is pressed, the system 10 willbring up a Password Screen, shown generally in FIG. 5 at 90; once theuser enters in the proper password, the user will arrive at the PinSetup Screen shown generally at 92 in FIG. 6. The user will want toaccess the Pin Setup Screen 92 when performing the pin setup process;the pin setup process is the process of physically attaching the pinsfor each of the valve gates 46 in the mold to the servo motors. Theservo motors are the devices used for moving the pins between an openand closed position and are controlled by the servo drives. There areseveral Pin Setup buttons 94 included on the Pin Setup Screen 92. Thereis a Toggle TC Calibration Mode Button 96, which commands the system togo into calibration mode, where the thermocouple circuit (not shown) iscalibrated by measuring known reference voltages in a calibrationsequence.

The Pin Setup Screen 92 also includes a listing of the gates, showngenerally at 98, and each gate having a number 100. Each gate 100 in thelisting 98 also has three buttons, a Setup button 102, a Home button104, and a Set Force button 106. There are also fields for the HomingForce 108, which is expressed as a percentage of the full force, and theFlow Gap 110. As mentioned above, the pin setup process is the processof physically attaching the pins for each of the gates in the mold tothe servo motors. The pin setup process can only be performed when theOperating Mode 34 is set to Manual Mode 40, and the user accesses thePin Setup Screen 92.

When the user is at the Pin Setup Screen 92, the Setup button 102 ispressed to cause the servo motor to go to a specific reference positionrelative to the end stop position; the pin for the gate is thenattached. Once the pins are attached, the Homing button 104 is thenpressed, and the pins are then commanded to their closed position. TheHoming Force 108 is a percentage of the full force that is applied tothe pins to ensure that the pins are flush with the mold when closed.The percentage is entered in the field for the Homing Force 106. Oncethe percentage is entered, the Set Force button 108 must be pressed tosave the value entered into the field for the Homing Force 108. Pinsetup allows the torque limit (Homing Force 108) to be set for the servodrive for each gate. When the Homing Force 108 is changed, the gate willcalibrate (i.e., finds) the home position again using a new torque limit(which is obtained when the pin is re-seated).

There is a Homing Force 108 which is programmable for each gate 46 inthe gate listing 98 that is used in each recipe. As mentioned above, theHoming Force 108 for each gate 46 is the force exerted by the servomotor when homing the pin during the pin setup process and the torquelimit during operation, and is a percentage of full force. The defaultvalue entered into the field for the Homing Force 108 is 20%; therefore,the default value for the Homing Force 108 is 20% of that of the fullforce. The range for the Homing Force 108 is between 1 to 100%.

Referring back to the Startup Screen 14, if the user presses the Recipebutton 20, the user will arrive at the Recipe Selection Screen,generally shown at 112 in FIG. 7. The Recipe Selection Screen 112 allowsthe user to activate or edit existing recipes, create new recipes, ordelete recipes. On the Recipe Selection Screen 112 there are threerecipes, shown generally at 114. Each recipe 114 includes severalbuttons, an Activate button 116, an Edit button 118, and a Delete button120. There is also a New Recipe button 122, the function of which willbe described later. Each recipe 114 also includes a field 124 whichincludes a description of the recipe 114, if desired, the name of therecipe 114, as well as the date the last time the recipe 114 wasmodified.

When the user presses the Activate button 116 for a specific recipe 114,that specific recipe 114 will become the current recipe 114 used by thesystem 10 for operation of the valve gates. Pressing the Delete button120 deletes the recipe 114. Pressing the Edit button 118 opens therecipe 114 for editing. Each recipe 114 is edited separately, andpressing one of the Edit buttons 118 opens up only one recipe 114 forediting.

Once the recipe Edit button 118 is pressed, the user will arrive at theRecipe Edit Screen, shown generally at 126 in FIG. 8. Each recipe 114 isa group of machine setup parameter values saved together under a usercreated name so that they can be reloaded for use and/or editing tocreate a new recipe 114. Each recipe 114 is a record in a database.There are several fields and buttons on the recipe edit screen 126.There is a Save Recipe Button 128, a Revert Recipe Button 130, and aCreate New Gate Button 132. The Save Recipe button 128 saves changes tothe recipe 114, and the Revert Recipe button 130 cancels any changesmade to the recipe 114 and returns all the parameters of the recipe 114to their last saved values. The Create New Gate button 132 adds the nextsequential gate number to the recipe 114 that will be used.

It can be seen in FIG. 8 that the Recipe Selection Screen 126 also has aset of parameters which are chosen for each valve gate 46. In thisembodiment, there are two gates shown on the Recipe Selection Screen126, but it is within the scope of the invention that more or less gatesmay be used. As mentioned above, the Create New Gate button 132 addscontrol over the operation of a new gate to the recipe 114; as shown onthe screen, there are two gates 46, but if it is desired to add anadditional gate 46, the Create New Gate Button 132 is pressed.

There is also a Recipe Name Field 134, a Recipe Description Field 136, aPosition Encoder Count Field 138, and a Minimum Operating TemperatureField 140. The Recipe Name field 134 is used for a short label which isused to reference a recipe 114. The Recipe Description field 136 is thefield in which the operator is allowed to enter information and variousnotes pertaining to the recipe 114. The information entered into theRecipe Name field 134 and the Recipe Description field 136 is theinformation shown in the field 124 on the Recipe Selection Screen 112.The Position Encoder Count field 138 is the number of press positionencoders used in a recipe 114; there can be one or two press positionencoders, with the default value for the Position Encoder Count field138 being one.

The Minimum Operating Temperature field 140 is the manifold temperatureabove which movement of the pin is enabled. The units for this field 140may be Fahrenheit or Celsius, depending upon the units selected in theTemperature Units field 80 on the Startup Screen 14. When the manifoldtemperature is below the value entered into the Minimum OperatingTemperature field 140, the servo drives are disabled so that the servomotors will not move. The only exception to this is in Pin Setup Mode(where the user has accessed the Pin Setup Screen 92), where the pinsare allowed to move regardless of manifold temperature.

There is a Gate Number Indication Field, generally shown at 142, a GateEnabled Field, generally shown at 144, which in this embodiment is acheck box, as well as a Use Position Encoder Field, shown generally at146, and a Gate Type Field, shown generally at 148.

The Gate Number Indication Field 142 simply identifies the gate 46 bynumber. The Gate Enabled Field 144 as mentioned above is a check box,and when a new gate 46 is added, the check box is checked by default,meaning that when a new gate 46 is added to a recipe 114, the gate 46will be enabled by default.

The Use Position Encoder Field 146 is assigned a default value of one,but may also have a value of two because there are two possible pressposition encoders that can be assigned to each valve gate 46 in therecipe 114 (which is also why there is also a Zero Position Encoder OneButton 82 and a Zero Position Encoder Two Button 84). By way ofexplanation but not limitation, if Press Position Encoder Two (thesecond Press Position Encoder 83) is assigned to the fifth gate in theseventh Recipe, then all press position triggers in the seventh recipefor fifth gate use Press Position Encoder Two.

The Gate Type Field 148 in this embodiment is a drop-down menu where thetype of gate 46 is selected. This Field 148 determines the particulargraphic that will be used on the Run Screen 44 for the gate 46 when therecipe 114 is running. The Run Screen 44 displays several differenttypes of graphics that are used to show the various types of gates 46being used for a particular recipe 114.

There are also several buttons used for defining the parameters of eachgate 46; there are three “gate parameters” and a list of “triggerparameters.” As mentioned above, a valve gate 46 is a device used forallowing or preventing the flow of molten material into a mold. A“trigger parameter” or “trigger point” is a point where the operation ofthe valve gate 46 changes. There are up to 256 trigger points that canbe defined for each gate 46. For each gate 46 there is a Create TriggerButton 150, and a Delete Gate Button 152. Each trigger also has severalbuttons and fields, there is an Up Button 154, a Down Button 156, and aDelete Trigger Button 158. The Up Button 154, Down Button 156, andDelete Trigger Button 158 are used in conjunction with the fields; theyare a Press Position Field, generally shown at 160, a Trigger TimeField, generally shown at 162, a Flow Gap Field, generally shown at 164,and a Servo Rate Field, generally shown at 166.

The Create Trigger Button 150 adds a new line to the trigger list ofeach gate 46. The Up Button 154 moves a trigger up one position on thelist, and the Down Button 156 moves a trigger down one position on thelist. The Delete Trigger Button 158 deletes a trigger from the list.

As mentioned above, the point at which operation of the gate 46 changesis referred to as a “trigger point.” The trigger points can be based oneither the position of the press screw in the machine 174, or time. Thisdecision is made when the user selects either Position 74 or Time 76from the Auto Mode field 72. There are as many trigger points asnecessary to properly perform the operation of gate 46. If Position 74is chosen from the Auto Mode field 72, then the Press Position Field 160will be used to determine the position of the gates during the operationof the machine 10. Conversely, if Time 76 is chosen from the Auto Modefield 72, the Trigger Time field 162 is used to determine the positionof the gates during the operation of the machine 10.

The Press Position Field 160 is the trigger parameter which is the pressposition value of the press screw at which to start a movement of avalve gate 46 to an associated Flow Gap 164. A flow gap is the amount ofspace created when the pin of the gate 46 is opened to allow moltenmaterial to flow through the gate 46. The value entered into the fieldfor the Flow Gap 164 will be the distance the gate 46 is opened. Thevalue entered into the field for the Flow Gap 164 is the same value usedfor the Flow Gap 62 on the Manual Mode screen 48 and the Flow Gap 110 onthe Pin Setup Screen 92. The values entered into the Press PositionField 160 are continuously compared to the present value of the assignedpress position encoder 81,83 to determine when the trigger point isreached at which point the pin will change position to the next Flow Gap62,110. The values entered into the Press Position Field 160 are onlyused in Auto Position mode (when the Operating Mode 34 is selected to beAuto Mode 42, and the Auto Mode Field 72 is set to “Position” 74). Thedefault value for the Press Position Field 160 is 0.00 inches. The rangeis ±60.00 inches, or ±1500.0 mm. However, in the Field 160 itself, thedecimal point is only for display purposes; the values are fixed decimalpoint, no floating, so for inches the values are really ±6000, and formillimeters they are ±5000.

Referring to FIG. 1E, the present invention also includes a device forfunctioning as a data bank (for storing information, such as informationrelating to recipes 114 and other machine setup parameters), such as acomputer 168 having a display 170. The computer 168 is also connected toa controller 172, which in this embodiment is a low-level controller 172which includes an Input-Output Printed Circuit Board (IOPCB). Thecontroller 172 receives commands from the computer 168, and then sends asignal to command the injection molding machine 174 to perform thedesired operation of the valve gates 46 having the pins. Even though themovement of the pins used in the gates 46 is measured in inches ormillimeters, the computer 168 measures the movement in “pulses.” Whenperforming calculations and data storage, the computer 168 must alwaysconvert the values to pulses for control use and storage of the data forthe recipe 114. In this embodiment, when position 74 is being used asthe trigger point, and Press Position Field 160 is also being used, theposition encoders 81,83 will generate two-hundred pulses per inch ofmovement of the pin. Therefore, in order to convert the movement of thepin measured in inches to pulses, the distance the pin moves measured ininches is multiplied by two-hundred. For example, movement ofone-and-a-half inches would be the equivalent of three-hundred pulses.

If millimeters are the units being used, the conversion factor frommillimeters to pulses is accomplished by multiplying the number ofmillimeters by one thousand, and then dividing byone-hundred-twenty-seven. It should be noted that there are severalpoints or steps in the process where the operation of the machine 174changes based on the recipe 114 and how the material is to be injectedinto the mold. When the controller 172 seeks another command, and thelast trigger point has been reached, the computer 168 will respond witha default value, meaning that the last trigger point has been requested,and the valve gate 46 should not make any more movements in the cycle.

As described above, there are two modes of operation that can beselected from the Auto Mode field 72, they are position 74 and time 76.When time 76 is selected, there various timers, or “Run Timers” 176,which are activated once the machine 10 begins operation (morespecifically, when the press screw begins to move after being in itsinitial position). The Trigger Time Field 162 is the parameter which isthe time measured in seconds to wait from the time that the Run Timers176 input is activated before starting movement of a valve gate 46 tothe associated Flow Gap 62,110. Once again, the Triggers Time field 162is only used in Auto Time mode (when the Operating Mode 34 is selectedto be Auto Mode 42, and the Auto Mode Field 72 is set to “Time” 76). Thedefault value in the Trigger Time Field 162 is zero. The ranges ofvalues that may be entered into the field are from 0.00 to 99.99seconds. Once again, there are as many trigger points as necessary (upto 256) to properly perform the operation of the gate 46. When thecontroller 172 seeks another command, and the last trigger point hasbeen reached, the computer 168 will respond with a default value,meaning that the last trigger point has been requested, and the valvegate should not make any more movements in the cycle.

The Flow Gap Field 164 is used for displaying a value; for each PressPosition 160 or Elapsed Time Trigger 162 there is an associated Flow GapField 164. As mentioned above, the value shown in the Flow Gap Field 164is the same value used for the Flow Gap 62 in the Manual Mode Screen 48,and the same value as the Flow Gap 110 shown in the Pin Setup Screen 92.The Flow Gap 62,110 is the position the pin is moved to relative to afully closed valve gate 46. The value in the Field 164 when the valve isfully closed is zero, and the range for the Field 164 is from 0.000inches to 0.750 inches, or from 0.00 mm to 19.00 mm. When the system 10is using trigger points for a gate, the value in the Field 164 for theFlow Gap 62,110 must be in thousandths of an inch. The Flow Gap 62,110value used by the software of the system 10 and the gates is always inthousandths of an inch, so the computer 168 must convert anymeasurements in millimeters to thousandths of an inch before they can beused.

The Servo Rate Field 166 is the field in which a value for the ServoRate is entered. For each Press Position Trigger 160 or Elapsed TimeTrigger 162, there is an associated Servo Rate 166. The Servo Rate 166is the rate (or speed) in which the pin moves such that the gate 46 isat the specified Flow Gap 62,110. The range for the Servo Rate 166 is0.01 inches/sec to 5.00 inches/sec, or 0.3 mm/sec to 127.0 mm/sec.

After each recipe 114 is completed, the user can simply press the SaveRecipe button 128 to save the changes made set forth in the mannerabove, if any, made to the recipe 114. If the user does not want to saveany of the changes made, the user will simply press the Revert Recipebutton 130 to restore the various parameters of the recipe 114 to thelast set of saved parameters. Once the user has decided whether or notto save the recipe 114, the user may press the Activate button 116 tomake a specific recipe 114 the recipe that will be run by the system 10.Once a specific recipe 114 is activated, the Run button 18 is pressed toactivate the system 10, and view the Run Screen 44. The user may also,once at the Run Screen 44, touch any one of the gates 46 to monitor aspecific gate 46 and view the various operating parameters for each gate46.

The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and,thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention areintended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations arenot to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. A system for electronically controlling the movement of pin assemblyfor a valve gate mechanism of an injection molding machine, comprising:at least one valve being part of said injection molding machine; agraphical user interface operable for controlling said injection moldingmachine and said at least one valve; and said at least one valve of saidinjection molding machine is controlled electronically.
 2. The systemfor electronically controlling the movement of pin assembly for a valvegate mechanism of an injection molding machine of claim 1, furthercomprising a plurality of operating parameters for electronicallycontrolling said at least one valve.
 3. The system for electronicallycontrolling the movement of pin assembly for a valve gate mechanism ofan injection molding machine of claim 2, said plurality of parametersfurther comprising at least one recipe.
 4. The system for electronicallycontrolling the movement of pin assembly for a valve gate mechanism ofan injection molding machine of claim 3, said at least one recipefurther comprising multiple recipes.
 5. The system for electronicallycontrolling the movement of pin assembly for a valve gate mechanism ofan injection molding machine of claim 1, said plurality of operatingparameters further comprising a plurality of trigger parameters.
 6. Thesystem for electronically controlling the movement of pin assembly for avalve gate mechanism of an injection molding machine of claim 5, saidinjection molding machine further comprising press screw, said pressscrew operable for moving molten material through said at least onevalve into a mold based on said plurality of trigger parameters.
 7. Thesystem for electronically controlling the movement of pin assembly for avalve gate mechanism of an injection molding machine of claim 6, one ofsaid plurality of trigger parameters further comprising a specificamount of time, and another of said plurality of trigger parametersfurther comprising a flow gap, wherein the position of said valve ischanged such that said at least one valve has said flow gap when saidpress screw has been moving for said specific amount of time.
 8. Thesystem for electronically controlling the movement of pin assembly for avalve gate mechanism of an injection molding machine of claim 6, one ofsaid plurality of trigger parameters further comprising a pressposition, and another of said plurality of trigger parameters furthercomprising a flow gap, wherein the position of said valve is changedsuch that said at least one valve has said flow gap when said pressscrew is moved to said press position.
 9. The system for electronicallycontrolling the movement of pin assembly for a valve gate mechanism ofan injection molding machine of claim 8, said press position furthercomprising a specific position of said press.
 10. The system forelectronically controlling the movement of pin assembly for a valve gatemechanism of an injection molding machine of claim 9, further comprisingat least one position encoder operable for detecting the position ofsaid press, said press position encoder operable with said graphicaluser interface for aiding in the control of said at least one valve. 11.The system for electronically controlling the movement of pin assemblyfor a valve gate mechanism of an injection molding machine of claim 1,further comprising multiple modes of operation, said multiple modes ofoperation being one selected from the group consisting of an off mode,an auto mode, and a manual mode.
 12. The system for electronicallycontrolling the movement of pin assembly for a valve gate mechanism ofan injection molding machine of claim 1, said graphical user interfacefurther comprising a touch screen.
 13. The system for electronicallycontrolling the movement of pin assembly for a valve gate mechanism ofan injection molding machine of claim 12, further comprising: acontroller operable with said graphical user interface for receivingcommands from said graphical user interface, and transmitting saidcommands to said injection molding machine; and a display, said touchscreen operable with said display for allowing said user to sendcommands to said controller.
 14. The system for electronicallycontrolling the movement of pin assembly for a valve gate mechanism ofan injection molding machine of claim 13, said controller furthercomprising a low-level controller.
 15. A system for electronicallycontrolling the movement of pin assembly for a valve gate mechanism ofan injection molding machine comprising: at least one valve being partof said injection molding machine, said injection molding machine havinga press screw for delivering molten material through said at least onevalve into a mold; a graphical user interface operable for controllingsaid injection molding machine and said at least one valve; a pluralityof parameters, said plurality of parameters operable with said graphicaluser interface for sending commands to said injection molding machine;and wherein said at least one valve of said injection molding machine iscontrolled electronically.
 16. The system for electronically controllingthe movement of pin assembly for a valve gate mechanism of an injectionmolding machine of claim 1, said plurality of parameters furthercomprising one or more recipes.
 17. The system for electronicallycontrolling the movement of pin assembly for a valve gate mechanism ofan injection molding machine of claim 16, said one or more recipesfurther comprising a plurality of trigger parameters.
 18. The system forelectronically controlling the movement of pin assembly for a valve gatemechanism of an injection molding machine of claim 17, said plurality oftrigger parameters further comprising: a press position, said pressposition is the position of said press screw in said injection moldingmachine; a specific amount of time that the press screw has moved insaid injection molding machine; and a flow gap, wherein said at leastone valve is positioned to have said flow gap such that said moltenmaterial will flow through said flow gap, and said at least one valvewill move to create said flow gap when said press screw is in said pressposition or said press screw has been operating for said specific amountof time.
 19. The system for electronically controlling the movement ofpin assembly for a valve gate mechanism of an injection molding machineof claim 1, further comprising a press position encoder, said pressposition encoder used for determining the position of said press screwwhen the position of said at least one valve changes based on said pressposition.
 20. The system for electronically controlling the movement ofpin assembly for a valve gate mechanism of an injection molding machineof claim 1, said injection molding machine further comprising multiplemodes of operation, said multiple modes of operation being one selectedfrom the group consisting of an off mode, an auto mode, and manual mode.21. The system for electronically controlling the movement of pinassembly for a valve gate mechanism of an injection molding machine ofclaim 1, further comprising: a controller operable with said graphicaluser interface for sending commands to said injection molding machine; adisplay operable with said graphical user interface and said controller;and said graphical user interface further comprising a touch screenoperable with said display for allowing a user to send commands to saidcontroller through said touch screen.
 22. A method for controlling theopening an closing of a valve used in an injection molding machine,comprising the steps of: providing an injection molding machine;providing at least one valve gate used with said injection moldingmachine; providing a graphical user interface between a user and saidinjection molding machine; and electronically controlling said at leastone valve gate with said graphical user interface.
 23. The method ofclaim 22, further comprising the steps of: providing a controller, saidcontroller operable with said graphical user interface for controllingsaid injection molding machine.
 24. The method of claim 22, furthercomprising the steps of providing a touch screen, said touch screenbeing part of said graphical user interface.
 25. The method of claim 22,further comprising the steps of selecting the mode of operation of saidinjection molding machine from the group consisting of an off mode, anautomatic control mode, and a manual control mode.
 26. The method ofclaim 22, further comprising the step of providing a press screw, saidpress screw operable with said at least one valve and being part of saidinjection molding machine.
 27. The method of claim 26, furthercomprising the step of providing electronic control over said at leastone valve through the use of the position of said press screw.
 28. Themethod of claim 26, further comprising the step of providing electroniccontrol over said at least one valve through the measurement of timeafter said press screw is activated.
 29. The method of claim 22, furthercomprising the steps of: providing at least one press position encoder;and measuring the change in position of said press screw using saidpress position encoder.
 30. The method of claim 22, further comprisingthe steps of: providing a group of specific parameters for the operationof said at least one valve.
 31. The method of claim 30, furthercomprising the step of said group of specific parameters being referredto as a recipe.
 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the stepsof: providing multiple recipes for controlling said injection moldingmachine; providing said at least one valve gate to further includemultiple valve gates; controlling the operation of said multiple valvegates through the use of said multiple recipes; and interacting withsaid multiple recipes through the use of said graphical user interface.33. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of: providing acontroller operable for controlling said at least one valve gate andsaid injection molding machine; and providing a display having a touchscreen as part of said graphical user interface, said touch screenallowing a user to provide commands to said controller.